For
close to 30 of his 52 years, John Parkhurst has helped Rochester’s fickle music
motor run. On the phone with agents and managers, in the audience with the
people, or in the trenches with performers and stagehands, his casual
confidence and charm belie the day-in day-out obstacles of the biz. He makes it
look so easy. He makes it look fun.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “I enjoy music,” he says recently
over a cup of coffee. “I enjoy all types of music. I enjoy the accomplishment of seeing people have a great time. I take
it personally. As my wife will tell you, she can probably count on one hand the
amount of days I’ve said ‘I don’t want to go to work today.’ I enjoy what I
do.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย This infectious joy is apparent in
Parkhurst’s involvement with the Rochester Broadway Theatre League, where he
oversees operations at the Auditorium Theatre and the Finger Lakes Performing
Arts Center, and where he is currently spearheading initiatives to improve
both. It is also clear that Mayor Bill Johnson’s dream of the Rochester
MusicFest (which just concluded its ninth year) would be just that, were it not
for Parkhurst’s passion, drive, and hard work.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “I started when I was in high
school, as a stage hand,” he says. “My first concert was ’68 or ’69. It was The
Who at the War Memorial.” Bitten by the backstage bug, Parkhurst headed back
behind the scenes shortly after returning home from the service.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “I started doing stage work at the
Eastman Theatre,” he says. “I actually had jobs at RG&E and the post
office, but I just kept doing shows. I never took those two jobs. I was hauling
gear.” It was in his blood. “I was actually the third generation in my family
to do that type of work. I’ve been behind the scenes since 1968.”
During the
summer,
all RBTL shows are put on at the 20-year-old Finger Lakes Performing Arts
Center, in Canandaigua. Soon after being built as a summer home for the
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, FLPAC began attracting national touring
talent of all genres. Despite its beautiful, serene locale in Canandaigua,
FLPAC is now outdated and incapable of hosting marketable shows. But according
to Parkhurst, that’s going to change.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “FLPAC was designed for the
orchestra,” he says. “It was an orchestra shell. As times change, the stage
shows its limitations. We built it with 2,600 inside seats, but it really
needed 5,000 inside seats. For the last five to seven years, the shows have
been getting bigger and we could not fit them on that stage. The artists were
asking for more money. So we’ve known for the past five years or so that we
needed to make some changes down there.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But Parkhurst stresses that the
facility’s shortcomings were not due to a lack of foresight.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “We were actually ahead of our
time,” he says. “It was in ’83, and it was one of the first venues like that
built. Right after that, all these places started popping up across the
country.” It was the seasonal orchestra shell boom that resuscitated many
otherwise flat-lined musical careers.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “As the business changed and the
summer venues started building around the country, it revived the careers of
the artists,” Parkhurst says. Whether it was due to nostalgia or their kids’
college tuition, artists who didn’t tour throughout the year finally had an
outlet. “You’ve got Crosby, Stills, and Nash; James Taylor,” he says. “You look
at these bands, their lives have been extended.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But Parkhurst, though a towering
presence at 6 feet 7 inches, isn’t content to simply roam with the dinosaurs.
FLPAC needs a facelift, he says, to attract bigger contemporary acts. And the
estimated $10 million renovations rest solely on the shoulders of RBTL and
Finger Lakes Community College.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “The stage needs to change
drastically,” Parkhurst says. “We have to expand the structure of the stage so
we can bring in other events.” Plans also call for adding more seats, and
installing a full fly system for lights and backdrops. But that’s not all.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “The college has been very
successful with a great music recording program,” he says. “And I want to work
with them and adapt that into the facility. There’s also the need for a 500- to
750-seat theater year-round. One of the thoughts is to make that part of the
complex.” Parkhurst also mentions the possibility of summer music camps. In
turn, the college is taking some of the weight off RBTL.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “The college is picking up some of
the everyday costs — electricity, water, sewer, taxes, that kind of stuff —
so we don’t have that overhead burden,” Parkhurst says. “Thanks to the college,
that puts us in a better position.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย This is all encapsulated in a two-
to three-year plan, according to his projections, with a portion of the funding
coming from SUNY and the rest from “yet to be determined” private interests.
“Oh, we’ll be out raising money to make it a real number-one cultural place,”
Parkhurst says. “A cultural center.”
Since the
FLPAC season is so short, RBTL’s home for most of the year is the
Auditorium Theatre on East Main Street. The Auditorium brings in Broadway
shows, comedy, plays, and rock, r&b, and gospel concerts.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Thanks to a $1 million grant from
the state, RBTL is making an offer to purchase the Auditorium Theatre from its
current owners, Raymond and William Saucke. Don Jeffries, RBTL president, says
he hopes to close on the deal some time in August. Owning the Auditorium
Theatre could save RBTL $200,000 in annual leasing costs.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “Rochester is the only community in
New York that doesn’t have a theater owned by a municipality,” Parkhurst says.
“And it’s very difficult to run a theater, to
own a theater, without government help, financially speaking.” And just as
he hopes with FLPAC, Parkhurst plans to drag the Auditorium into the 21st
century.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “We couldn’t make improvements to a
building we didn’t own,” he explains. “But we couldn’t just buy the place and
leave it how it was.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Renovations include new, wider seats
and expanded, new bathrooms. RBTL will also move their offices from Gibbs Street
into the facility. All told, about $1.5 million will go into improvements to
the Auditorium Theatre. RBTL is hoping to finance those renovations through a
bank loan, which it will pay off through ticket proceeds. Details of the loan
are still being hammered out, but RBTL is hoping to begin renovations this
summer.
The scope of
Parkhurst’s influence and expertise doesn’t stop at these two venues. The
Rochester MusicFest has his prints all over it. The mayor’s wish was
Parkhurst’s command.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “He’s essentially a maestro of
logistics,” says Loretta Scott, the city’s parks, recreation, and human
services commissioner. “There are myriad details involved in pulling off an
event the size of the Rochester MusicFest. John has absolute, total control
making all of that happen in the time that it needs to happen and within budget.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Parkhurst’s concern is obviously the
music, not just the money.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “You don’t get the sense of some
carpetbagger who’s coming in to make a quick buck,” Scott says. “He’s really
concerned about the activities he’s involved with and how they impact making
life better. He’s truly committed to conducting and producing first-class
events.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The concept was simple: “To bring
music downtown,” Parkhurst says. “Just having a great festival that would draw
regionally. And it’s worked. We’ve moved from Brown’s Race to Genesee Valley
Park. This year, our vendors have doubled. Ticket sales in Buffalo and Syracuse
have doubled.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Though the mayor’s initial dream was
of an all-encompassing, something-for-everyone festival, it soon copped more
urban leanings.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “It just made more sense,” Parkhurst
says. “There was more response. And with the high guarantees going, you
couldn’t do a good festival and please everybody.
You were just going to wind up with pockets of this and that. The r&b thing
made a lot of sense. There is a market and those artists weren’t coming to
Rochester. We were missing out on a whole segment of the public. The urban
market was one that was being ignored.”
With a grin
and rolled-up sleeves, Parkhurst looks to the future optimistically, despite
venue constraints and a lagging economy.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “I wish the city had another venue,”
he says. “A performing arts center.” ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย RBTL
got the ball rolling and paid for the first feasibility study for a potential
downtown performing arts center. It proved feasible. “The need is there,” he
says. But this is no small process.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “As you know, it’s a big project,”
he says. “Obviously, it’s gotten a little bogged down. The economy has had a
lot to do with that.” Though politics plays a large part, Parkhurst doesn’t
point to anyone really standing in the way.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “I think it’s just getting everybody
on the same page,” he says. “A site has to be chosen and everybody has to come
together on just what it is that’s going to be built.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย He also wishes for promotional
diversity. “Clear Channel is the elephant taking over everything,” he says.
“They’ve taken over these venues and they’re paying some huge guarantees to
some artists. And with the economy, they’re just not doing the business. I
mean, you’re seeing now, $10 lawn seats at some of these shows. They’re making
multi-hundred-thousand-dollar guarantees and they’re not filling the venues.”
Parkhurst complains this is squeezing out smaller localized promoters, like
RBTL.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “A small venue like ours, we can’t
compete with that. We don’t have a prayer.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย For every rock star, for every
event, there’s someone behind the scenes juggling a multitude of impossible
tasks. Parkhust digs the view from his behind-the-scenes perch.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “There was a band last year where
the guitar player went over and punched out the monitor guy,” he laughs. “We
see all this from a different angle.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “There’s a great feeling of
accomplishment,” he says. “I can honestly say that no two days are really the
same. There’s always something different. It’s a great feeling.”
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2003.
